Zeal Environmental Technologies (ZETL), an indigenous company managing upstream oil and gas waste, has reaffirmed its commitment to operating in line with international standards in order to strengthen Ghana’s position as a preferred oil and gas hub in Africa.
Speaking during an official tour of the Nyankrom facility in the Shama District of the Western Region by the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Petroleum Commission, Emefa Hardcastle, over the weekend, the Board Chairman and President of Zeal Environmental Technologies Ltd, Kwaku Ennin, said that beyond treating mining, oil, and gas waste from Ghana, the company also processes oily waste from other West African countries at the facility.
Background
After the commercial discovery of oil, the country was faced with an uphill task of managing its industry-related waste, an arduous and important piece of the upstream oil and gas industry often operated by international oil support service companies through cross-border arrangements.
Zeal Environmental Technologies, with decades of experience serving various industries, came in handy as a strategic private investment, making the country proud in protecting the environment, training and creating jobs.
During the tour, Mrs Hardcastle, who was visibly amazed at the level of investment on the premises and the state-of-the-art setup, employment and commitment of a Ghanaian company, said it was worthy of commendation.
She said PC’s support for the company and other local oil and gas service providers was to ensure that the country fully benefited from the new industry, adding that the regulator was doing a lot to ensure that the industry bounced back strongly.
Voltaian Basin
Mrs Hardcastle assured the management of Zeal Environmental Technologies that activities would soon bounce back as the Ghana National Petroleum Corporation prepared to venture into the Voltaian Basin in the first quarter of next year.
“We envisage in the medium to long term, there will be more businesses, an attractive investment space.
We are hosting the African Oil Week in Ghana, and a lot of majors are coming, and we have received some expressions of interest from some of the industry’s big players,” she said.
“One heartwarming thing is that those who have expressed the interest are ‘industry big players interested in ultra-deep where they have the capacity, expertise and the balance sheet to venture into, and I can say the super majors are heading home to Ghana,” the Petroleum Commission’s CEO said.
Mrs Hardcastle commended existing companies such as Eni Ghana, Jubilee and TEN partners operated by Tullow Ghana, for reaffirming their commitment.
She commended Zeal Environmental Technologies for its continuous commitment to the environment and management of the upstream waste, which had saved the country costs and the stress of cross-border waste management.
For his part, Mr Ennin welcomed the new approach to managing the industry, stressing that creating the right environment for businesses was crucial to the growth and future of Ghana’s oil and gas sector.
He noted that at the inception of Ghana’s oil industry, the country was ahead as an attractive destination, but attention later shifted to its neighbours — a trend he said must be reversed.
“The government of our neighbouring Côte d’Ivoire made conscious efforts to create the perfect ambience for the oil and gas industry,” Mr Ennin said.
He said since investors operated in an open market, they were naturally drawn to destinations where returns were higher.
Mr Ennin urged the leadership of the Petroleum Commission to support the government in understanding the dynamics behind investors’ preference for other countries over Ghana in the oil and gas sector, so that urgent steps could be taken to reverse the trend.
The President of Zeal Environmental Technologies said as a Ghanaian company, it remained committed to the sector, and would continue to offer jobs and training, as well as social investment programmes.
Source: By graphic.com.gh